


We'll Be Fine

by Chrystie, kate882



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 08:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12813729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: Tim goes to Dick for advice on how to deal with his recently discovered feelings for Kon.





	We'll Be Fine

The thing about Tim and feelings is he understood them just fine.

...When they were other people’s.

When feelings were someone else’s he could be an objective observer, but when they related to his own things got confusing.

So, when he started having feelings for his best friend he didn’t immediately recognize the swooping in his stomach, the increased heart rate, or the hot flashes that resulted in his face turning pink - “no Steph, it’s not blushing, don’t be ridiculous”- for what they were.

Instead, he at first thought he might be getting sick. But that theory didn’t pan out because he only felt like that around Kon.

So his next option was that he was allergic to something of Kon’s.

He changed out Kon’s deodorant, cologne, shampoo, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and anything else he could think of that Kon might have gotten recently, but nothing changed. Other than he got some weird looks from Kon when his friend caught him switching out his soap with a different brand, but Kon was used to Tim’s strangeness enough by now that he just shrugged and asked if he wanted to stay to play some video games when he was done with whatever he was doing.

So, when all of that failed, he went to Dick. Because Dick was the Bat with the most experience in these sorts of things. And when Dick laughed at him after he explained his situation, Tim just crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him.  

“Timmy, you’re not allergic to Kon,” Dick continued to laugh, “You're just a little lovesick.”

“Yes, I’ve figured that much out, because I’ve eliminated all possible things to be allergic to,” Tim muttered through gritted teeth, looking away. “I’m asking you what to do about it.”

“I think most people would ask him on a date,” Dick managed after he calmed down a bit from his fit of giggles.

Tim looked unimpressed. “We aren’t exactly most people,” he reminded Dick.

“That doesn't mean you can't ask him out, you’d probably make a better boyfriend for him than most people, all things considered.”

“We are on a team together. It took weeks for Steph and I to start working well together again after we broke up.”

“Yeah but we’re talking about Conner, not Steph. You guys have a substantially better relationship pre-relationship than you and Steph did.”

“That makes it worse. If we break up then we might ruin the friendship we already have.” Tim frowned, looking down at his hands clasped together in his lap. “I’m not asking you for advice on how to ask him out, I want to know how to get over it and move on.”

Dick didn't really look like he agreed with that plan of action, but he’d still help since it was Tim asking. “That's a lot harder than it sounds. Sometimes you never can and just have to live with it. I can definitely tell you that avoiding him won't work, so don't try that.”

“I’m not doing that, he’d just track me down and want to know why I was. And then I’d have to either lie or explain to him, neither of which is appealing.”

“Timmy, if you're not going to tell him then getting over him is going to be a slow and long process. I'm sorry, baby bird.”

“You say that like telling him will make it a faster process.”

“It might,” and Dick unfortunately didn't look like he was joking, “sometimes an actual rejection helps. Just hurts a lot more.”

Tim sighed and rolled his eyes. “Kon isn’t going to reject me, that’s part of the problem.”

Dick looked at him blankly, “I don't see any problem there.”

“I already told you, if things go wrong and we break up it could mess up team dynamics, and we can’t go back to being friends like we are now.” Tim sank lower down into Dick’s couch. “And Kon must have come to the same conclusion, because as far as I can figure he’s had feelings for me for the last year and a half and hasn’t said anything about them.” Because Tim might have trouble figuring out his own feelings, but he’d been able to pick up on his best friend’s just fine.

“Or he thinks you're not interested. Aside from with me, you're not all that obvious with your emotions.”

“I talk to Kon too,” Tim defended. “He’s my best friend. I just don’t talk to him about this kind of thing.”

“Tim,” Dick put a hand on his shoulder, “Conner isn't a detective, he's not going to put together that you have feelings for him unless you're openly showing him, which knowing you, you're definitely not.”

“He’s not supposed to put that together, Dick, because I don’t want to lose him over something as stupid as romantic feelings!” Tim finally burst out. His eyes widened as he seemed to realize what he’d just done, and he pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and refused to look at Dick.

“Oh Timmy,” and then Dick’s arms were wrapping around Tim’s balled up form, “You're not going to lose him. If you guys don't work out then that's all it is. There might be some awkwardness there but you're both too stubborn to stop being friends.”

Tim half heartedly tried to push Dick off of him, but resigned himself to the hug when it didn’t work. “People stop being friends because of breakups all the time. You and Kori hardly talk anymore, and she lives with the guy you’re dating. M’gaan and Kon are awkward every time they have to talk to each other. I don’t want to be like that with him.”

“And how can you be sure that if you break up, you won't end up like me and Babs instead?”

“I can't be sure. But I can't be sure that we will either.”

Dick sighed and nudged his nose into Tim’s hair, holding him closer. “I think you're too worried about the potential failure of a relationship and not thinking enough about the more likely chances of a successful one. You guys are practically dating anyway, just without the kissing and sex.”

“I think it has to be considered a date by both parties for someone to be dating,” Tim muttered.

Dick leaned back to grin at him, his tone turned teasing, “Are you telling me that if you guys slapped the dating label on your relationship, you both wouldn't just keep doing exactly what you're doing? Cuddling on the couch under a blanket? Falling asleep next to him and using him as your personal heater? I know you both do that like every weekend.”

And there was one of those hot flashes again. “We’re just having movie nights, and I get tired sometimes when we watch his action movies,” Tim mumbled defensively. 

“Yeah, me and Jason do exactly that too, we just call them what they are: a date night.”

Tim frowned. “Yeah, but you guys also go out on dates.”

“A date is just spending time together and enjoying each other's company. You guys have been on dates.”

“I think romance is supposed to be involved in that, so no we have not.”

Dick chuckled and gave Tim a light noogie, “You’re cute, Tim.”

“You're annoying,” Tim countered, now actually struggling to to get out of Dick’s hold.

“It’s part of my job description,” Dick replied, refusing to let go, and Tim finally slumped against him, giving up on the escape attempt.

“...so you really think I should tell him?”

“I think it’s the best thing for you in the long run.”

* * *

Tim waited until one of their weekend movie nights to bring it up. The credits were rolling and Tim was fighting to keep his eyes open when he finally said, “Hey Kon, I need to tell you something.”

Kon turned to Tim with a curious look, “What’s up?”

Tim sat up so he wasn't leaning against Kon. “It has come to my attention that I have more than platonic feelings for you.”

There were a few emotions that flickered across Kon’s face, confusion, happiness and then amusement. “You know you could’ve said you liked me more than a friend. But also, really?”

“I did say that. It means the same thing. And of course really, why would I say it otherwise?”

“Because it doesn’t sound real,” Kon laughed, “You sure haven’t looked like you’ve been interested.”

“It is a recent development, and it took some time to realize that's what was happening. I think you are supposed to respond to my confession with one of your own or a rejection.”

Kon blushed a little and looked to his feet, “I mean I’m definitely not rejecting you.”

“So ...are we dating then?”

“Di-did you want to be? Because I’d really like that.”

“Then I guess we're dating. Is this our first date, or does it not count?”

Kon scooted closer to Tim, not that he didn’t usually end pressed against him at some point in the night whenever they did this anyway, and threw his arm around Tim’s shoulders. “This can be our first date.”

* * *

“Hey Conner, fancy meeting you here,” Dick smiled brightly at him from where he was sitting perched on the desk in Kon’s room a few days later.

Kon wasn't a detective, but he had a feeling that what ever Dick was here about, he wasn't going to like it. “Yeah, fancy you being here, in my room, that's very far from where you live.”

Dick’s smile didn't budge. “Yep! Don't worry, I'm not here for the ‘if you hurt him I'll hurt you’ speech. You already know that Bats has kryptonite and that I can access it, so we can skip right over that. Not that you'd ever do anything to prompt that, I'm sure.”

Kon resisted the urge to swallow the nervous lump in his throat. “Of course not, I'd never hurt Tim.” At least he didn't have to lie about that.

“That’s good, but I am actually here to talk about him. Because well...he’s Timmy so he’s probably not going to do it for himself. And I’d really appreciate if you didn’t mention to him that we’re having this little chat.” Dick wasn’t smiling anymore, he was biting his lower lip and looked mildly concerned now.

“I feel like I should hear what this is about before agreeing to something like that.” It wasn't that he didn't trust Dick, but hanging out with Tim taught him to handle things with a good amount of skepticism.

“...That’s fair,” Dick decided. “Tim came to talk to me before he told you about his feelings. And he was pretty deadset against doing it for a little while. He seems really worried that if you guys break up you won’t be friends anymore, or that if you are it’ll be different. You’re really important to him, and he’s really worried about losing you.”

There were a lot of things about all of that that needed processing but the part that Kon latched onto the most was “he thinks we’re going to break up?”

Dick tilted his head, frowning a bit. “I don’t think it’s necessarily that he thinks you will, so much as he knows you could. Tim likes to prepare for all the possibilities, and I don’t think he knows how to prepare for that one.”  

“Okay,” Kon sighed, his internal freak out stopped before it could really start, “okay yeah that makes sense for Tim, and I can see how things could get awkward but,” Kon frowned, finally thinking about what Dick had said, “he'd never lose me. I wouldn't stop seeing him just because of a break up.”

“I don’t think you would. And I told him as much, but I don’t think I’m the one he needs to hear it from.” Dick gave Kon a very pointed look.

“Right, I can do that. And I won’t tell him about you telling me.” That didn’t mean Tim wouldn’t figure it out, but they could hope.

Dick hopped off of Kon’s desk and patted his shoulder. “Thanks, man. And good luck to you guys. I actually think you’re going to make a great couple.”

“Thanks, that really means a lot.” Especially coming from Tim’s favourite of the Bats.

Dick smiled brightly at him again. “Well, I’d better get going. I've got patrol tonight, and as you pointed out we are very far from where I live.”

* * *

Kon waited until he and Tim were cuddled up with each other in front of the TV to bring up the talk. He’d thought long and hard about how to do it, how to talk about it subtly so he wouldn’t out Dick, and managed to come up with some semblance of plan. That was until he was actually with Tim and he forgot everything his half baked plan included, so he was back to improvising like he didn’t want to do. That was why the way he opened up the topic was: “Are you having doubts about us?” Like a complete idiot.

Tim went stiff in his arms and turned his head sharply to look up at Kon. “Are you?”

“No,” Kon adamantly shook his head, “Absolutely not. Just… well I know you like to consider everything and anything that could happen. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with this.”

Tim’s eyes narrowed at him. “What did Dick say to you?”

Well there went his hopes of keeping Dick out of the conversation. “He just said that you were afraid of how things would turn out if we break up, which for the record, I hope never happens.”

Tim sighed and glanced away. “I don't want us to break up either. But it can happen. It happens to couples all the time. Most people don't go into relationships they think are going to end, but have you seen divorce rates recently? And those are supposed to be the most committed relationships. I can't help worrying about it.”

“Tim,” Kon reached for his hand, squeezing lightly, “Even if this doesn’t work out, I’d never stop being your friend. You’re too important for that.”

“Most relationships that don't end badly end with a ‘we can still be friends’, but not many of those people actually stay friends,” Tim told him, but still laced his fingers with Kon’s.

“Do you really think we’ll end up that way if we break up? Really? ‘Cause I think we’re both too stubborn for that. Besides,” he wrapped Tim up in his arms, pulling him onto his lap, “I care about you too much to lose you just because we happened to not work out as a couple.”

“You're probably right. And I care about you too. Which is why I worry. And I don't think it's going to go away, but I'm working on dealing with it.” He leaned forward to give Kon a quick kiss. “But hearing you say all of that helps.”

“Maybe you could work on telling me when you worry about stuff like that too? Y’know, so I don’t get ambushed in my room again.”

“Well I'm not telling Dick anymore. He's apparently got a big mouth,” Tim muttered.

“He just wanted to help. Don’t be mad at him.”

“He shouldn't have said anything, regardless of what he may have been trying to do.”

“You can’t blame him for worrying about you.”

“I can and I do. So, if we're done talking about feelings and Dick, can we finish the show we were watching? I think I've reached my limit for the night on both of those topics.”

“Alright,” Kon smiled at him fondly, “No more feelings, just cuddles and bad TV action.”

“If you think it's bad too why are we watching it?” Tim asked incredulously.

“‘Cause it’s funny,” Kon grinned.

Tim rolled his eyes, but gave Kon a fond smile and settled in to watch.

Kon, with the weight off his shoulders, was happy enough to just drift off once they hit the dumb action scenes, feeling Tim shift them at some point in the night to a more horizontal position, but didn’t bother to open his eyes. “Night Timmy.”

“Night Kon,” Tim mumbled back.


End file.
